by PEC 12 Replies latest jw friends
How old is too old to continue practicing surgery? The doctor I am seeing next week has 42 years since graduation. Doesn't it take at least ten years to become a Surgeon? 18 + 10 + 42 = 70 years old or older. He did back surgery on me in 1982 and he did a good job then. One slip and I could end up never being able to walk again. What do you think?
Philip
P.S. My birthday is not until tomorrow. Simon, when are you going to fix the birthday thing.
I think there's no set age. Some people age much more gracefully than others. I had a neighbor a few years ago who was 93. I would never have guessed--I thought he was about 60.
I have worked closely with young and old surgeons. Do you see any signs of shaking or twitching?
There should always be a second surgeon, or doctor present that can take over, if need be.
I have seem 70+ year old surgeons run circles around younger surgeons, and have seen younger surgeons shake so bad, we had to have someone cover for them.
Experience there is a very very good thing........oompa
JD, It is very true, some people never look or act their age.
CBB, I will differently be looking for any shakes.
oompa, he was experienced in 1982.
I haven't seen him since he removed the rods in my back in 1985.
Philip
What do you think?
I think I'd get my head worked on before I let somebody operate on my back.
What I think is 70 is just a number. My father died at 74 of prostrate cancer He was flying his airplane and riding his motorcycle at high speeds up untill about 2 months before he died.
I've seen some people that are old at 40 and some people that are young at 80.
When I was in my 30's I used to run 35 miles a week down the pinellas trail 7 miles a day 5 days a week. I remember I met an 80 year old man who I would run with for brief times on the trail. He would run back wards and I was running forwards he would talk to me for a couple of minutes and then take off, running backwords at 80 years old. And I wasnt a slow runner. I was always passing people on their bicycles.
wow i think you should keep an eye on the hands??? see any shaking head for the hills
The recently deceased Fyodor Uglov was a practising surgeon until the ripe old age of 102!
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Uglov
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2195041/Fyodor-Uglov.html
Old is just a number. I bet that old doc is in better shape than some of the other sawbones in that town.
Some older folks have great motor skills... many people do fine, complicated work for a long time....master engravers, gunsmiths, tool makers..........yea, doctors too.
SO if he's not worried about cuttin ya open go for it... I'd have to ask , do you trust him? If you dont find another surgeon. That goes for one of ANY age.
~Jeff
jaguarbass, I think you would have back surgery, if your legs were going numb from an unstable fracture. I know one person, that bragged about being the youngest person in his senior community.
chellechelle, I will be watching very closely, any shaking.
funkyderek, all I can say is, wow.
hillbilly, I trusted enough to look him up 25 years later to review my latest MRIs, he have treated many professional athletes.
One strange thing, when I call, the person making the appointment asked me if the MRI were film or disk. I say film, she said good; because, they don't have a computer. I guess you don't need a computer to do surgery; but, how does someone run a business, today without a computer?
Philip
